Unknown Relations
by Goddess Pohsideuhn
Summary: Kurt finds out he has a twin sister, who was seperated from him when they were infants. She is completely different from him on appeals on life.
1. Prologue

Athor's note: Just an idea I had to write down, and no, I do not own X:Men etc.  
  
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Prologue ...  
  
The rain fell harsh and cold upon and around the old estate. The night was dark, eerie, the   
setting of a horror movie where the dead arise.  
  
Within the castle the power surged. A woman screamed, "Monster! What have you done   
to them?"  
  
The woman ran, holding two babies in her arms. Their cries ringing through the night. The   
sound of approaching from behind gave reason for the woman to look about. The fierce   
growling of wolves followed her. The levitation of a man in a cape appeared, drawing   
closer, and closer.  
  
She ran against the wind and the rain, holding her twins tight. The baby boy and girl cried   
their hearts out from fear, and the noise. She ran onto a bridge, high above the river.  
  
The caped man dropped in front of her. Demanding she stop and return to the castle. She   
gasped with fright and backed away, her path stopped short by the wolves.  
  
Their teeth barred, their growls fierce, they snapped and jumped at her. She held her   
twins high to protect them, but her balance was lost, and her twins fell into the river   
below.  
  
She screamed, and stretched towards them in the river. Her tears mixed with rain on her   
face. The man came forth and stood beside her limp body. She pounded the boards of the   
bridge until her hands bled from splinters. Her eyes rose to look at the man, "Why? Why?",   
was all she could say between her sobs.  
  
The man didn't speak, but simply walked away. The wolves had retreated, and the woman   
was left alone. The only comfort she received was the rain and her tears.  
  
tbc ... 


	2. Chapter I

Author's note: Sorry about the prologue being pretty much the same of the episode, but I kind of needed it to fit the storyline.  
  
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Chapter I ...  
  
Years had passed since the incident had happened. The baby boy had been found and adopted by loving people. Ones who nurtured and cared for him. Despite being different, the boy lived a seemingly normal life. Because of his appearance, he couldn't go into public without a cloak.  
  
During the seventeenth year of his life, he had been taken into the 'Xavier Academy for the Gifted'. His appearance was altered to ensure non-fear in people who didn't understand about the abilities, and the prosperities that would follow of mutants. Kurt, as the boy was named, from his adoptive parents, was oblivious of the knowledge he had a twin, and how her life was drastically different.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
The baby girl had been found and taken in by people who didn't really care for her, only for themselves. They made her feel small and worthless about her appearance. They treated her as if she were a prisoner, rather than a member of their family. She had been given the name of Rayne.  
  
During the fourteenth year of her life, Rayne had finally left her life of torment. She joined with other mutants who could no longer handle the pressures from life. For three years she had been part of a group known as the Morlocks, staying in underground tunnels, away from the humans who descriminated them.  
  
The day had been exceptionally long. Rayne had waited for the darkness to come, to shroud her form. Her tail flicked with irritation, thoughts of how she was treated burned, and haunted her mind. The other mutants had experienced hard lives, but none so hard as Rayne's.  
  
They knew how tortured her soul was, but not to the full extent, they would never know, fore she would never tell. A deaf rage pounded in her head, she felt so alone, only at certain times did she feel that she had companions. The anger she had for the people who were supposed to love her, the anger she had for her biological parents who left her. The words kept ringing through her mind no one loves me, no one cares. Rayne hated feeling that way, but for years she heard it, and she believed every word.  
  
A member of the group tried to help Rayne. Having the ability of making dreams, and deepest desires, reality. She went into Rayne's mind. Taking away the hurt, the sadness. But this false reality didn't last for long. Rayne teleported from the grasp held upon her.  
  
Hanging from the ceilings of one of the tunnels she spoke, "Maria, stay out of my mind, I don't want to play pretend."  
  
"I'm sorry Rayne, I only wanted to help," Maria had said before sitting onto the floor.  
  
Teleporting to sit by Maria, Rayne spoke again, "I know Maria, and I'm sorry to have snapped at you, but I don't want to forget what happened to me. Because of my past I'm stronger emotionally, and I need the strength to survive."  
  
Maria smiled and nodded, Rayne smile back. She felt as though Maria was the only one who could make her smile at times. She knew Maria looked up to her, being ten and truly alone is something Rayne knew all too well. All of the mutants that were a part of the Morlocks didn't trust humans, they were given reason not too.  
  
Each had it in their minds that all humans were evil, and a threat to all mutants. No human would ever understand about mutants.  
  
Rayne had stood and teleported through the tunnels, wanting to be alone with her thoughts. She was knelt down, looking to the water that ran through a few of the tunnels. Her head shot up to look about when she heard the sound of footsteps from behind.  
  
The mists blocked her vision, but she could sense where the footsteps were coming from. She called out to whoever it may have been, a voice called in return. A boy who was of about the same age, maybe a year or two younger than her stepped into full view. His hair was blonde, and he spoke to her as if she were someone else, "Kurt, what are you doing here? Did the prof. send you? Did you come alone?"  
  
Rayne glared at him, "What are you talking about, who is Kurt?"  
  
He stepped back, "Whoa, sorry about that, but I thought you were someone else. I guess you can't be because you're a girl. Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Rayne."  
  
He looked at her, "I'm sorry I bothered you, I only came here to check up on the Morlocks, a few of them helped me when I drank the Powr8 drink."  
  
"Yes, I have heard about that. But I doubt that the human race will stop making that drink and trying to kill us off. They all hate us," she turned her back to him.  
  
"I'm sorry you feel that way, but not all people who don't have the mutant gene are bad, the prof. is trying to make things easier for us, also he's trying to make us cope with our powers, and handle them with control."  
  
Rayne looked over her shoulder, "Who is this prof. you keep talking about?"  
  
"Professor Charles Xavier, he has an institue for mutants, like I said, to help us handle our powers."  
  
"And you believe him? Why? He's a fool to believe that humans could be good hearted and mean well when they say something about us. He obviously had a good life to have thoughts like that. I didn't, my life was a nightmare, it was-" she stopped without finishing.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Never mind, forget I said anything."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Forget I said anything!" she cut him off. Taking a deep breath she continued more calmly, "Who are you?"  
  
"Oh uh, my name's Evan Daniels. I didn't mean to nose into your business, but to be honest, I think you should join with the institute, the prof. would like to have you join with us. But I can't get over how much you look like a friend of mine, his name's Kurt, and he's blue, has a tail, and dark hair just like you. Can you teleport from one place to another?"  
  
Rayne looked at him and teleported from standing in front of him to behind him, "Yes I can."  
  
Evan turned to look at her, "I think you should come to the institute with me, and meet the prof., you know, just to talk with him and see what it's like."  
  
For some unexplained reason Rayne felt as though she should go to the institute with him. She looked back to the water again before deciding and agreeing. They both went back to the others in the tunnels. Evan spoke with one that he knew, Rayne went to Maria, to tell her that she was leaving.  
  
Tears formed in Maria's eyes, "Are you coming back Rayne?"  
  
Smiling she answered as she pulled the little girl into her arms to hug her tight, "Of course I'll come back, I could never leave and not see you again Maria. I'm just going to go and talk with the professor that Evan told me of, to see what he has to say about the human race. I promise I'll come back."  
  
Maria smiled and went away, only to return shortly with a long cloak, "You should wear your cloak Rayne, not many people are used to us yet."  
  
Rayne smiled at the girl's concern and cleverness, "Thank you Maria." She hugged the girl again before putting on the cloak.  
  
Evan came and told her that they should be leaving at that moment. She nodded and the two left, dissappearing, from the eyes of the other mutants, into the mists of the tunnels.  
  
tbc ... 


	3. Chapter II

Author's note: I have writer's block and the ideas that I may have, I need to lead up to them, it is not always easy be a writer. ^.^;;  
  
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Chapter II ...  
  
There was a coldness in the late evening air. Rayne had pulled the cloak closer around her. She and Evan kept to the alleys to stay out of sight of anyone. Rayne wanted to keep to the darkness, she knew how people had treated her before, she only wanted to remain safe.  
  
"Where is the institute Evan? How much further, I don't feel safe in the open like this," Rayne had spoke, a worried tone in her voice.  
  
"It's not much further Rayne, the gates are just up ahead."  
  
As Evan had depicted, the gates of the institute came into their view. They left the alleyways and the town behind and ran for the gates. Evan pressed a small button on the side of the rock wall, which he spoke into, claiming entrance. The gates swung open with an eerie creaking sound. Rayne was a little hesitant about stepping through, with a little coaxing from Evan she was able to. The gates then slammed shut behind them. She knew that if she wanted to leave, it would be no problem, but she also wanted to meet the professor, since Evan had seemed so determined.  
  
Rayne had looked about her surroundings, the full lawn, the stone gezebo amongst flowers to the far right, and the drive way that led to the institute, the circular wave being perfect for a fountain that stood in the middle. A stone angel having the water sprinkle around her. Never before had Rayne seen anything as beautiful.  
  
Evan ran up the steps and waited for her, she joined him and they entered together. She turned in circles looking at the foyer, and the ceiling. Two people came towards them, and she stopped circling. She looked at them, not sure whether they were mutants or not. "Hey Evan, who's your friend?" one of them had asked, it was a guy.  
  
"Oh uh, hey Scott, hey Jean. Where's the prof.? I met this girl when I went to visit the morlocks, I thought she might want to talk to the professor," Evan had answered.  
  
"I'm right here Evan, what did you say you wanted to see me for?" a man in a wheelchair came towards them as he spoke.  
  
"Hey professor, um, I met this girl when I went to see the morlocks, and I thought she might be a good edition to the team."  
  
"Wait, you didn't say anything about me joining any teams Evan," Rayne had said, slight irritation in her voice.  
  
"It's all right, you don't have to stay if you don't want to, although, since you are a mutant, I would like to speak with you, and your parents," the professor had responded.  
  
"I don't have any parents, and the people who did adopt me, if you can call it adopting, don't know where I am, and I would prefer if they never find out," Rayne exclaimed as she grew more irritated and angry.  
  
"Running away is never an option that you should take," the girl Evan had called Jean had said.  
  
Rayne didn't respond to what had been said to her. They didn't know about her life, and she wasn't willing to tell them, any of them. At that moment, three other people had come into the foyer, a guy and two girls. They were introduced to Rayne as Rogue, Kitty and Kurt. She looked at Kurt, he appeared nothing as what Evan had said to her. He looked just like the others, no blue skin, no tail. Rayne spoke to him, "Kurt, Evan has told me somethings about you, but you seem nothing like what he has said to me."  
  
He had an accent when he replied to Rayne's comment, "Well, the professor has given me this watch," he held up his wrist to show her, "which allows me to appear like everyone else." He pressed a button on the watch, and his appearance changed.  
  
Rayne was dumb for a moment, no words came to her mind to speak. She lowered the hood of her cloak, revealing her face to everyone for the first time. She heard the others gasped with surprise, she noticed the look on Kurt's face. "What-what-what's going on? You look like me," he had spoke after his initial shock had worn off.  
  
The professor sat forward and spoke directly to Rayne, "What is your name?"  
  
"Rayne."  
  
"What is your last name?"  
  
"I don't have one."  
  
"Didn't your adoptive parents-"  
  
"They were no parents to me! Only people who took me in and-" She silenced without another word said.  
  
"We should talk Rayne, alone. And you should tell me all that has happened in your life that you remember."  
  
"No!" She sighed, "I'm sorry, but I don't trust anyone, it's nothing personal."  
  
"I understand, but in time hopefully you will lose that. But in the mean time, you are welcome to stay here at the institute."  
  
"Thanks, maybe for a little while."  
  
The professor had asked Jean to show Rayne to another room in which she would be staying, and to give her some new clothes to wear. Jean did as she was asked, and she was very polite to Rayne the while they were walking through the hallways. "Uh, Rayne, you can stay here next to my room, and the bathroom is down the hall, first door on your right once you pass the corner. I will bring you an outfit of mine to wear, just until we are able to get you some new clothes."  
  
"Thanks," was all Rayne could say, she had never been treated this kindly before. Although the morlocks had been exceptionally nice to her, but they were still skeptical of trusting anyone, that is where Rayne had gotten it from. She was just gratefull that she was being treated fairly.  
  
Jean left with the promise of returning in a moment with an outfit for Rayne to wear. Rayne looked about the room, seeing a bed, a dresser, a full length mirror, and swinging glass doors that led onto a terrace. She stepped towards the glass doors, but was stopped when Jean entered the room again, carrying a pair of pants and a shirt for Rayne to wear. She smiled before leaving again.  
  
Rayne shut the door and removed her cloak. She changed from her torn shirt and pants into the clothes that Jean had given to her. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, she felt comfortable in the clothes, but didn't fully want to. She was still skeptical about trusting, even mutants at time, but Jean and the others had appeared nice to her.  
  
Rayne had again stepped towards the glass doors. She opened them and passed through to the terrace. Looking at the grounds made Rayne feel a little out of place. The tennis court and the swimming pool seemed luxurious to her. She teleported from the terrace to the grounds below.  
  
Rayne walked along the edge of the swimming pool, staring down into the abyss of the blue water. She heard a noise behind her, it was the same sound as when she teleported. She looked and noticed Kurt standing in her direct view. "Um, Rayne, the professor sent me to find you, he would really like to talk, to both of us."  
  
"Why? For what reason does he need to talk to you too?"  
  
"I don't know, but we look alike. Maybe we are related."  
  
"I don't have any family," Rayne had exclaimed sadly, giving cause for her to lower her eyes to the water again.  
  
"Well, maybe it is a possibility that we may be related, and I would very much like to know, so that we may at least be freinds," Kurt had said with a smile.  
  
For a reason that Rayne could not suffice, she smiled back. They went back inside to meet with the professor. Kurt led Rayne to a small sitting area where the professor was waiting. The two sat down side by side onto a small couch. The professor gave a smile to them both before speaking to Rayne. He handed her a watch that seemed similar to the one that Kurt wore. "Rayne, this watch is the same as Kurt's. It will enable you to appear the same as everyone else."  
  
She accepted it and put it on her left wrist. She instantly changed her appearance. She noticed the expressions on the faces of Kurt and the professor. Rayne had stood and gone to look at her reflection in a small mirror that hung on the wall. She touched her face lightly, not truly believing at first that she was looking at herself. But she noticed that she looked like Kurt, thoughts ran through her head that maybe somehow they were related. And if that was possible, why didn't they know of each other? And what happened for them to be seperated?  
  
"I know that you are wondering about your identity Rayne, and the Identity of Kurt, so I am willing to give you both blood DNA tests to determine if you are indeed related."  
  
"How did you know I was thinking about that?" she asked the professor.  
  
He smiled and laughed lightly, "I'm able to read minds."  
  
She sat down again beside Kurt. The professor came closer, "Rayne, now, I would like to know about your life, about why you won't tell anyone. Please."  
  
"No! I don't want anyone to know about all that happened to me!"  
  
"There's no need to shout, but I want to help you. But I must first know what happened."  
  
"It's okay Rayne, you're able to trust the professor," Kurt had said, smiling to her.  
  
"All right, fine."  
  
"Now, try to remember and focus on the issues in your life that you don't want to speak of," the professor had instructed.  
  
Rayne closed her eyes and remembered how the people had treated her ever since she was very little. How they spoke poorly towards her, how she cried herself to sleep every night. She opened her eyes as the professor lowered his hands from her temples. "Rayne, I'm so sorry."  
  
"What, what is it? What happened?" asked Kurt.  
  
Rayne took a breath and told him what the professor already knew. "That's why I ran away, and that's why I didn't want to tell anyone, now professor, Kurt, don't tell anyone else, ever!"  
  
They both agreed, and they gave their sympathies to her. She nodded and asked if she could go. "I would like to do the testing now Rayne, if it is all right. It will only take a few moments."  
  
She nodded, and the three went to the medical wing of the institute. Rayne and Kurt had their blood drawn, then they left. The professor said that it would take of up to about 24 hours for the results to be determined. He suggested that Kurt show Rayne to the kitchen and let her have something to eat.  
  
They left the medical wing and entered the kitchen. The ones that Rayne had met earlier were there quietly chatting. They stopped and looked at the two as they entered. Jean stepped forward and looked them both. The others did as well. Rayne leaned back away from them, then teleported away. She stood by the sink, "I don't like to be crowded."  
  
"But you guys look so much alike," the girl named Kitty had said.  
  
"Yeah, but you're both so different," spoke Scott.  
  
"Aren't we all different?" asked Rayne.  
  
"I suppose so."  
  
After a little while, and after having something light to eat, it was late and time for everyone to retire. The professor had stopped Rayne before she entered her room. "Rayne, it is the weekend, and the students don't have to go to school, but, once the results are determined from the blood tests, will you be staying with us?"  
  
"I don't know professor, I'm gratefull that you are all nice to me, but I still don't trust much of anyone. I might stay, and if I do, I'll have to go to school I assume?"  
  
"Naturally yes."  
  
"All right then, very well, but I don't have a last name, no records or anything."  
  
"I'll take care of it. But you should rest now. Good night Rayne."  
  
She didn't say anything in return, but went into her room and shut the door. She turned out the light and layed down onto the bed. She covered herself with the blankets, and felt very warm and comfortable. Taking full advantage of how life was now treating her, she pulled the blanket up to her nose, and she curled up in the bed as a cat would on a soft cusion. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, with the thoughts of the following day on her mind.  
  
tbc ... 


	4. Chapter III

Author's note: ...  
  
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Chapter III ...  
  
The night passed quickly for Rayne. Whether it was because of the comfortable bed she slept in, or the warmth she felt she wasn't sure. But she enjoyed the comfort.  
  
The sun shone on her face through the terrace doors, hurting her eyes, giving her reason to pull the covers over her head. She almost forgot what it felt llike to be in the sunlight, it had been so long for her. For the three years she was with the morlocks, she had been in deep seclusion during the days, only emerging after darkness had fallen, wearing her cloak.  
  
She groaned and sat up in the bed, she didn't want to get up, but she was unable to get back to sleep. Looking at the clock on the night table she noticed it was a little past seven. Rayne had wiped the sleep from her eyes as she stood up from the bed.  
  
As she began to lower her hands from her face, she noticed, and remembered the watch on her wrist the professor had given to her. She stepped in front of the full length mirror and peered at her reflection. Rayne saw her appearance, and realized about how different she really was from the rest of the world.  
  
She left the room quietly, not wanting to awaken anyone, slowly going to the bathroom. She entered and shut and locked the door behind her. Rayne removed her watch and set it aside onto the counter. Her appearance changed to that of her regular blue. She ran the cold water and splashed it onto her face.  
  
The cold water Rayne splashed onto her face woke her up more so than she had been. She lifted her head and gazed at her true reflection in the mirror. The water beading down her face, giving the appearance of tears falling from her eyes, down over her cheeks.  
  
A knock sounded on the bathroom door. She grabbed a towel and wiped her face dry, before answering the door. Jean stood before her, "Um, good morning Rayne, I brought you another outfit to wear for today. Maybe later today we could go to get you some clothes of your own."  
  
Rayne looked at Jean for a moment before replying, "Thanks, that'd be nice."  
  
Jean smiled then turned and left, Rayne closed the door and locked it again. Setting the clothes onto the counter next to the sink, she removed the clothes she was wearing, and she took a shower. She felt more comfortable with the warm water, she was used to bathing in the cold waters in the tunnels, a warm shower was what she really needed to feel better.  
  
After about a 20 minute stretch she emerged from the shower, turning off the water. Rayne had never felt so relaxed before, she dried her body with the towel and dressed in the clothes that Jean had brought to her. She strapped the watch around her wrist, and her appearance changed.  
  
A knock sounded on the door again, but instead of answering, Rayne teleported from the bathroom to the hallway. Kurt stood, toothbrush in hand, smiling at her, "Rayne, the professor wants to see us both after breakfast, I think the results are ready from our DNA test."  
  
"Well, we'll have to see him then," she replied.  
  
"Yes, I will be finished here in about 15 minutes. Don't meet with him until I'm done please. I want to know if we are related."  
  
Rayne looked away, "Yeah."  
  
With a smile Kurt stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Rayne began slowly walking away from the bathroom door. Her eyes lowered to stare at her feet, she didn't notice Scott until she ran into him. "Hey-are you alright Rayne, you look kind of upset about something."  
  
She looked up to his face, "I'm fine, Kurt told me that the professor wants to talk to us after breakfast, I'd better go and get that."  
  
She continued on her way towards the kitchen, her intention wasn't to get anything to eat, just to get away from any questions that anyone may have had for her. Noticing Rogue, Kitty and Jean comming towards her, she teleported to the kitchen. No one was there, and she was relieved.  
  
She stood next to the window, looking out towards the grounds. She looked over her shoulder when she heard someone enter the room. A man she had not noticed before poured himself a cup of coffee and read the newspaper, not paying her any attention. She continued looking at him, until his eyes were visable over the paper to look at her. "You must be the girl Charles talked about."  
  
"You mean the professor, yeah," she replied to his remark.  
  
He resumed reading the paper, every so often taking a sip of the coffee until it was gone. He folded the paper and set it onto the table, and then set the coffee mug into the sink before leaving. Rayne focused her attention back to the window, until Kurt teleported to the kitchen. "Rayne, did you have anything to eat yet?"  
  
"No, I'm not hungry."  
  
"Oh, okay then, well, maybe we should go to see the professor now. I'm too anxious to eat anything either," he said as he held onto her arm, pulling her towards the door.  
  
She easily followed behind him, wanting answers herself about the truth and whether she a Kurt were somehow related. He pulled her into a small sitting room, where the professor was sitting, he looked up at them as they entered, "Ah, Kurt, Rayne, please sit down."  
  
They did so and waited for the professor to speak again. "The results of the DNA test are complete, and I must say, it is quite interesting."  
  
"What is it professor? Are we related, is that why we look so much alike?"  
  
"Yes Kurt, you and Rayne are related, you are siblings, twins I might add."  
  
Kurt and Rayne looked at each other, "Twins, we're twins?" asked Rayne.  
  
"Yes Rayne, I only wish I could tell you how you two were seperated. And I only wish I could know more about your past, about your family. Kurt has told me of his."  
  
She didn't say anything, she only stood up and paced around the room. She spoke again in a softer more quiet tone of voice, "You have said that Kurt told you about his family and his past. Kurt, what was your life like?"  
  
"My adoptive parents were wonderful people, they treated me very well, as if I was their own son. What about you Rayne, please tell me, I want to know."  
  
"Kurt, my life wasn't a fairytale like your's, okay, my life was very hard, and the people who took me in made me feel very low. Lower than the earth. I could never forgive them for making me feel very poor about myself," tears streamed from her eyes as she spoke.  
  
Kurt stood and held her in a brotherly embrace, he felt that it was now his obligation to do so, also, he didn't like to see people cry. "But, everything's alright now Rayne, you're here with people who will care about you."  
  
"He's right Rayne, no one will judge you here. We're all alike, and we're all accepted by one another. The pain that you may have felt before will not be expressed here," spoke the professor.  
  
Rayne nodded her head, "I'd like to be alone for a little while." She teleported from the room.  
  
tbc ... 


	5. Chapter IV

Author's note: Well, I hope the story's going okay, I'm doing my best. ^.^;;  
  
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Chapter IV ...  
  
After her teleportation, Rayne found herself in an alleyway. Crouching behind a dumpster, she did something she had not done so in years, she cried. She finally knew that she had a living family member, but she didn't really want to believe it. She thought and felt that it was not fair that Kurt had been given a good life, and she had to suffer.  
  
She lifted her head and looked towards the street passed the dumpster, tears stained on her face. She knew it wasn't Kurt's fault that he was given a good life, but she wanted to have had it too. Four teen boys passed the alleyway, laughing and talking as if they were in power over all.  
  
Rayne stood and stepped from the darkness, she followed them until one turned around and looked at her. "Hey, we're being followed yo," was all he said.  
  
Another of the boys stepped back to her, "Who are you, and why are you following us? If it's about us being mutants, then you better leave now, unless you want to get hurt."  
  
"You guys are mutants as well?" she asked them.  
  
"Yeah, and by that you must be too," another said as he stepped back. The two remaining stepped back towards her as well.  
  
"Yeah, I am," she said without smiling, she was always able to depict bad vibes from a person, and these four were sending them.  
  
One crouched down and looked up at her, "So then, what's your power?" he asked her.  
  
Looking around first, to see if anyone was in eyesight, she teleported to stand behind them. They turned and looked at her, "Hey, we know of someone else who can do that," the one who was crouched down spoke.  
  
"You do, do you?"  
  
"Yeah, he's at the institute for gifted children," he said in a mocking tone of voice. "My name's Todd Tolanski, but you can call me toad." He hopped towards her like a toad would have done.  
  
She stepped back and looked at him, her gaze averted to a streak that passed around her very fast, until one of them stopped in front of her, "My name's Pietro Maximoff, but as a nickname, I'm Quicksilver."  
  
One that was tall and heavy stepped towards her, "The name's Fred Dukes, otherwise known as the Blob."  
  
The last just looked at her a moment before speaking, "I'm Lance Alvers, also called Avalanche."  
  
"Charmed to meet you all," Rayne had spoken before turning to leave. Toad hopped after her, "Hey wait yo, why'd you follow us in the beginning?"  
  
She stopped and looked at him, "I guess I wanted to find out who you guys were, and now I know that you are mutants, and you hate regualr people."  
  
"Why'd you think that?"  
  
"Because you all act like you are better than others," she replied before turning to leave again.  
  
"Hey wait, what's your name?" called Toad.  
  
Without looking back at them she replied, "Rayne."  
  
She continue walking away, her eyes lowered to her feet. Her hands were in her pockets as she shuffled her feet. Rayne felt as though she were alone again, she had met four guys earlier, who she now knew where ones she didn't want to be friends with. She didn't know why, but she knew that she would be fighting them one day.  
  
She began kicking a discarded soda can, the clanking of it hitting the sidewalk reverberated around her, it was the only thing she heard. Her attention was brought back when she bumped into someone. She looked up and into the eyes of a boy who appeared about a year older than her. He smiled at her and apologized for being rude as to run into her. She stepped back and said that it was all right, she continued walking.  
  
Rayne heard footsteps follow quickly behind her, she stopped and turned around, only to be bumped into again by the boy. He laughed sheepishly and apologized again. "Why are you following me?" she asked him.  
  
He opened his mouth to answer, but he didn't say anything. After a moment of silence he did speak, "My name's Dominic Surrette. And you are?"  
  
"Rayne."  
  
"Rayne what?" he asked persistently.  
  
She looked at him a moment, "I don't have a last name, I'm an orphan, and I'm staying now with very nice people."  
  
"Oh I'm sorry, but Rayne is a pretty name."  
  
"Thanks." She bagan walking away from him.  
  
"Hey, maybe I'll see you in school on Monday," he called to her.  
  
She held her hand up and waved at him without looking back. She felt as though he was able to be trusted, but she wasn't sure if he was a mutant or not. And she didn't want to ask in case he wasn't. Rayne also felt as though she shouldn't really become close friends with him, in case wasn't a mutant, and didn't like them, or her if he found out. She continued walking until she found no one was around, she ducked into an alleyway, and teleported back to the institute.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Kurt was the first one to find her when she returned. "Rayne, are you feeling any better now?"  
  
"Yes Kurt," she replied as she walked up the stairs slowly to her room.  
  
"But, you don't seem very happy, you seem upset."  
  
Rayne stopped half-way up the stairwell, she gripped the banister tightly and spoke, her voice shaking, she kept her back to Kurt, "No, I'm not alright, everything's not alright for me. Ever since we were born Kurt, ever since we were seperated, everything's been all wrong," she slowly turned around to look at him, "Why did it have to happen to me?"  
  
Kurt stepped back, his eyes wide, "What do you mean?"  
  
Rayne walked slowly towards him, every step she took made Kurt take one back, "Why did it have to happen to me? Why did I have to be brought into a world of hatred and greed, why did I have to be taken in by people who didn't love me, who made me cry every night before I went to sleep? Why couldn't it have been you?"  
  
"Rayne, I-I-I'm not sure why, i-i-it's not my fault of your misfortunes in life," he managed to stutter.  
  
Rayne had her hands balled into fists, all the pain she felt as a child shot back at her with full force, making her hatred grow, she didn't see her twin brother before her, but another person who didn't have the torment as she had. She raised her right hand and thrust it forward, Kurt teleported out of the way. He appeared behind her, she quickly turned around and lundged towards him.  
  
Before he could move out of her path, she tackled him, her hands going around his neck. Kurt struggled beneath her weight, but could not get free, the lack of air reaching him giving him cause not to be able to teleport out of harm's way.  
  
At that moment, the others came into the foyer after hearing the commotion. Jean used her power to lift Rayne into the air. Rayne tried to teleport, but Jean made it so that she couldn't. She yelled and protested as Kurt stood and coughed for a moment or two. Scott came forward and asked if he was all right. "Yes, but I don't know what came over her. I thought she would be happy to have a family."  
  
Rogue stepped towards Rayne and removed her glove. She grabbed Rayne's ankle, draining her power. Rayne made one more final outcry before closing her eyes and passing out. Jean lowered her into Scott's arms, he carried her upstairs to her room to rest.  
  
The professor came towards Kurt, "Kurt, are you sure you're all right?"  
  
"Yes professor," he replied, a sad expression on his face.  
  
"Don't be too upset Kurt, Rayne is going through a tough time now. She never had any one to love her before, and it seems that she blames everyone else for her bad life. It wasn't your fault that you had a good life and she didn't, but she's just upset about it for now. After she wakes up, I'll talk to her."  
  
"Thank you professor." Kurt left the foyer and went up the stairwell to his own room, all the while thinking about what could have possibly happened to Rayne to make her react in such a way towards him.  
  
tbc ... 


	6. Chapter V

Author's note: Just a notice that the / ... / means what the professor sees when he is searching someone's mind.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Chapter V ...  
  
Rayne awoke with a slight pain in her head. She felt terrible about what had happened earlier between her and Kurt. Tears formed in her eyes as she heard the professor in her head, talking to her, telling her to meet with him in the sitting room she had previously met with him in.  
  
She teleported to the room, and saw that Kurt was there also. She ran towards him and put her arms around his neck, holding tightly in an embrace. Kurt was still a little afraid that she might do something to hurt him again, but she didn't, and he kind of relaxed as he put his arms around her waist. "Kurt, I'm so sorry that I hurt you before, I was just upset by the pain I went through, I wouldn't want that upon you or anyone. It wasn't your fault you were adopted by loving people and I wasn't. Please forgive me Kurt." She began to cry.  
  
"It's okay Rayne, I understand now," he replied.  
  
She stepped back and wiped her eyes clear, they both sat down onto the small couch, the professor came forward and asked Rayne, "I would like to know all that has happened in your life, to know why you attacked Kurt the way you did. What could have possibly transpired to make you react in such a way?"  
  
Rayne nodded her head and closed her eyes. The professor raised his hands and touched her temples lightly, he closed his eyes as well, "Rayne just relax and concentrate on all that happened to you."  
  
The professor travelled into her mind's eye.  
  
/After the incident with the castle, Rayne fell from the rickety bridge with Kurt by her side. They were both crying, from the water, from the cold, and the lonliness they felt. Kurt drifter further away from his twin, closer to the shoreline of the river. He was lifted and held by two people, who smiled and took him in, they didn't notice the second baby that was lost from her brother.  
  
/Rayne's body continued with the river current, only to be lifted later down stream by two people who didn't smile, or cradle her comfortly, but held her in a way that made them give her mean, unloving looks. Their slurs about her appearance, an innocent baby, and they slurred at her, because she was different from other babies.  
  
/Years passed until she was the age of seven, her life had been filled with hardship and unlove. The people she wanted to call 'mommy' and 'daddy' didn't allow her to, to her, they were 'ma'am' and 'sir'. When she did something wrong, she would be hit. One incident that occured was when she had dropped a glass plate onto the floor when she was washing the dishes, which she had to do every evening, she was punished by being called names, mainly a 'blue freak'. Her tail was pulled, her face was slapped, the rags she wore as clothes barely kept her warm on the cold nights.  
  
/She was never allowed to leave the house, to never be seen, to have any friends. She was made to clean the house, to clean the dishes, to cook the meals, but she was never allowed to eat unless the others were finished. Then she was only allowed to eat the leftovers, which were barely few.  
  
/She had no bed, only two thin mats on a concrete floor in a small room, she was never comfortable when she did sleep. Every night she wept from her sorrows, the pain almost unbarable at times for her. Many times she asked herself why this happened to her, what had she done to deserve such a torment in her life? She was always left feeling as though it truly were her fault.  
  
/Rayne had been able to escape the people a few times because of her teleportation, but they had always found her, with threats of telling everyone that she was a mutant, and she would forever be branded as a freak to society, and she would never be accepted. Many times after she was caught she had been told this, and then locked into her small concrete room. She felt so afraid at these moments that she didn't dare to teleport out of the room, by chance that they may find her gone, and then hurt her once they found her again.  
  
/By the age of ten Rayne had many scars on her back, her arms, her legs, but mainly on her tail. Many times she cursed the ones who did this to her, but fear kept her from running, where would she go? Long scratch marks on her body hurt at times, but now they were painless, except for the memory they held. They were not very noticible, but she knew they were there, and to her they were bright and clear to the eyes of any who would dare to look at her./  
  
The professor opened his eyes and lowered his hands from her temples, Rayne opened her eyes as well, and kept them focused down to her hands onto her lap. "Rayne, is that everything that happened to you, true? Did those people do such things to you?"  
  
She nodded her response. "What happened to them? Where are they?"  
  
She looked up at him, "Professor, it's a good thing you didn't search my mind any further, because then you'd know what truly happened to them."  
  
"What happened?" asked Kurt as he sat forward.  
  
Rayne looked at him, then back to the professor, "When I was 14, they pushed me too far, and I couldn't handle it anymore. I teleported them to the top of the building we lived in, which was 5 stories high. They stood on the edge, looking down, they demanded that I take them down to ground level, but I refused, they lundged at me, but I teleported behind them. They turned and came at me again, but once again I teleported, and-"  
  
She stopped and lowered her eyes, "And they fell the five stories to their deaths. That's when I ran away to stay with the morlocks."  
  
The professor looked at her with a shocked expression, "And that's why you don't like humans very much."  
  
"Yes," she replied with a low voice, "And I blame myself for the deaths of those people."  
  
"But it wasn't your fault," spoke Kurt, trying to sound encouraging.  
  
"Kurt's right Rayne, it wasn't your fault, you protected yourself, if you had not, who knows what may have happened to you."  
  
She looked at them both and nodded her head. She felt a little relieved, but still more so upset and bitter towards humans, not all were that way she was told, but she didn't want to take any chances in case it wasn't true, and she came across more that were the same as those people had been to her. Or worse.  
  
The professor spoke to Rayne, saying that the following Monday she would have to attend school, that she would be enrolled, but she still needed a last name. Rayne thought a moment and then spoke, "Name me Rayne Faulken."  
  
The professor smiled and nodded his head. Kurt smiled as well, "You are really going to enjoy school at Bayville High, it's a really good place to be to receive studies."  
  
She nodded and stood up, "When will you have me registered professor?"  
  
"I will have it done for you tomorrow Rayne. You two should go to eat now with the others."  
  
The twins nodded in unison and left the room. Rayne looked towards Kurt once more and apologized for what she had done earlier. He nodded and said that it was alright, that she really had a reason for doing it. He held her hand as they continued walking towards the dining hall where the others were already seated.  
  
tbc ... 


	7. Chapter VI

Author's note: All right, this story is kind of sad, even for me to write, but, I'll stick with it, when you have an idea, it must be written down, or typed, whichever. Also, other's have a right to read. ^.^;;  
  
_..._ is to show that a word is stressed.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Chapter VI ...  
  
Rayne felt very uncomfortable sitting to the table with the eyes of everyone else watching her like a hawk. She slouched in her chair, picking at her food with her fork, once in a while lifting the fork to her mouth to take small bites.  
  
Kurt explained to them about what happened between him and Rayne, and the reason it happened, about it being based on her life. The others exclaimed their condolences for Rayne. She thanked them with a small voice, too upset to fully speak in her usual endeavor.  
  
The girls offered to take Rayne shopping for a new wardrobe after the day's meal, she agreed with a nod of her head. After a time period of about 25 minutes, the girls stood up and spoke to Rayne, asking if she wanted to go at that moment, or to wait, if she was tired. She shook her head and stood up with them, they left the dining hall, Scott ran after them, and offered to give them a ride in his car to the mall. Jean, Kitty and Rogue smiled and thanked him, Rayne thanked him as well, without a smile.  
  
They left and entered the garage, where Scott's car was sitting, between a black van, and a motocycle. They all got in, the clicking of seatbelts filled their ears before the engine was started. Jean and Scott were in the front seat, where as Rayne was in the back, behind Scott, Rogue was behind Jean, and Kitty was in the middle between the two.  
  
After a drive of about 15 minutes, they entered the mall parking garage, Scott decided to wait for them as they shopped. The girls left and entered the mall, going from store to store, helping Rayne with suggestions on clothing. She denied their efforts, and said she wanted dark clothes, preferably black. She directed them to a store that appeared to hold gothic clothing. After a shopping spree of about 30 minutes, Rayne had her wardrobe, which consisted of black tops, pants, shorts, skirts, fish-net stockings and other gothic appeal.  
  
They met with Scott in the parking garage, he opened the trunk of his car and put the bags of clothes in. Before they each sat back down into the car, voices were directed at them. Their gazes fell upon the four guys that Rayne had met with earlier.  
  
"What do you want Lance?" asked Kitty.  
  
"_We_ don't want anything, it's Mystique who wants to have you all as her followers. I mean, why do you go to the institue anyway? Xavier's making you weak," he replied.  
  
"The only ones who are weak are you," exclaimed Scott.  
  
Pietro ran to Scott and pushed him, he continued running in a circle around Scott, pushing him every so often. Scott held his right hand up to his glasses, as if he were going to lower them from his eyes, Jean told him to stop, to not reveal his power inside a small enclosed area that they were in at that moment. His hand lowered, and his balanced was thrown off, but he stayed on his feet. Jean held out her left hand lifted Pietro from the cement floor. She easily tossed him against one of the iron pillars that was between two of the parking places. She did the same to the other three, Scott and the girls getting into the car. The engine was started again and they headed back to the institute.  
  
On the way, Rayne asked, "Who's Mystique?"  
  
She was answered with silence before Jean slowly turned to look at her, "Rayne, Mystique, she's your, mother."  
  
Rayne's blood ran cold, "My mother? You mean the woman who abandonned me and Kurt?"  
  
She was answered with a nod, "Yes, but she didn't really abadon you, wolves chased her and she lost you into the river. Rogue was able to get that from her mind a while ago."  
  
"But she didn't try to search for us, she didn't try to get us back. She's not my mother, only my enemy," Rayne spoke before falling silent. Her gaze looking to her left to the scenery.  
  
Scott passed the car through the gates of the institute. He backed it into the garage, he emerged and opened the trunk. Rayne took her bags of clothing and teleported to her room. She packed them away, and then layed onto her bed, staring up to the ceiling. She heard and faint knock on her door. Her gaze never left the ceiling as she spoke, "Come in."  
  
Kurt stepped towards her, "Rayne, are you okay?"  
  
"Yes Kurt, and I found out that our mother's name is Mystique."  
  
"Oh, yes, I know, she's not the type of mother we would want to have for ourselves. That's why I'm here, and that's why you're here too. But she allowed us to be made like the mutants that we are, we wouldn't appear as we do if it wasn't for her."  
  
"So, then she's the blame for it all? For my suffering?"  
  
Kurt didn't answer, he didn't know what to say. He sat onto the bed beside his sister, she sat up and looked at him, "Rayne, I'm sorry about your suffering, but it's nobody's fault except the people who treated you that way, and I promise, I'll never let you go through that again. Not alone anymore, I'll always be here for you now."  
  
She smiled lightly and hugged him, "Thanks Kurt, I'm rather glad that we're twins, now I have a family that I didn't know existed. I feel better, but not enough to make me trust humans fully. I don't think I could ever do that."  
  
"Not all humans are that way, but I understand, it'll take some time for you to adjust to them all."  
  
She nodded and they both stood up, "There's a great place where we could go to get some ice cream, my treat," Kurt offered.  
  
Rayne smiled again, "Thanks Kurt, and I want a strawberry sundae."  
  
"That's my favourite, two strawberry sundae's it is then," he said with a laugh.  
  
They left the room and then the institute, Kurt held onto Rayne's hand and teleported them both to about a block away from the ice cream parlour. Kurt ordered the sundaes for them both, he paid and they sat down and began to eat. Rayne asked him questions about his parents, about how they cared for him, how nice they were. He answered her every question with a smile. She smiled as well at his good luck.  
  
They were both half way through their sundaes, when a voice sounded towards them, calling Rayne's name. She turned to look and saw that it was Dominic, he waved at her before paying for a small ice cream, he handed it to a little girl who appeared no older than eight. They came towards the twins, "Hello Rayne, nice to see you again."  
  
"Hi Dominic, Kurt just wanted to treat me to an ice cream. Who are you with?"  
  
"Oh, this is Molly, my little sister, she wanted ice cream too. Hey, are you two related?"  
  
"Yeah, we're twins," answered Kurt before Rayne had a chance to do so.  
  
"I see, that's nice, I've never seen twins before," Dominic replied with a short laugh. Molly tugged on her big brother's arm, "Dom, I want to go home now, I'm getting kind of sleepy."  
  
"All right Molly, I'll see you in school on Monday Rayne," he said with a wave as the girl pulled him away towards their home.  
  
"How do you know him Rayne?" asked Kurt with a slight grin on his face.  
  
"I met him today when I left after the professor told us that we were twins. We ran into each other," she answered.  
  
They finished and stood up, they began walking back towards the institute. Making sure that no one was in eyesight Kurt teleported them back. They entered the living room where the others were watching t.v. Jean and Scott were excluded, each reading a book. Rayne and Kurt advanced towards that couch and were about to sit down when the man Rayne had seen earlier entered and told them all to suit up for their training. He soon left.  
  
"Who was that?" asked Rayne.  
  
"That's Logan, and we all have to go to our training in the danger room," responded Kurt.  
  
"The danger room?"  
  
"Yes, it's a room where we learn to use our abilities, to make us stronger and in more control."  
  
She raised her eyebrows and followed the others as they walked towards the area Logan spoke of, each of them groaning their protests to go. The boys went to one side and the girls went to the other. Each having to change into a different attire for training in. Jean handed Rayne an outfit that was completely black, except for the red that went down the middle front and back. Rayne put it on and they left the room as the boys were comming from theirs.  
  
Rayne noticed that Kurt had changed into his actual form, she did so as well. She follwed the others to the danger room, the name sending chills down her spine, denoting that she did _not_ want to go.  
  
tbc ... 


	8. Chapter VII

Author's note: ...  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Chapter VII ...  
  
Rayne held back behind the others as they went towards the danger room, to her, it sounded as a room from a sci-fi movie. Kurt looked back and grasped her hand, "It's alright Rayne, nothing bad will happen, I'll help you if you get into any trouble."  
  
Trouble, Rayne knew she had been in trouble before, but not by much. She didn't know what awaited her in the room, what she might see or experience, but she was ready to face it, whatever it might be.  
  
The doors of the room slid open to reveal a large metal space, with a control room overlooking above their heads. Rayne stepped around slowly, looking at each corner, at each person. The doors slid shut and clicked, denoting that they were locked.  
  
Rayne heard her name called from in front of her, "Rayne look out behind you!" it was Kurt.  
  
She quickly turned around and teleported out of the way to stand behind Kurt, from the oncomming path of a blade. "What was that?"  
  
"Oh, that's part of the training, are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm okay."  
  
Many flying disks came from one of the walls, metal blades that appeared as saws. Scott pressed the side of his visor, allowing a red laser type beam to come from his eyes to throw the metal blades off course. The rest of the mutants began to run around what looked like an obstacle course. Kurt pulled Rayne along with. She ducked as mechanical arms came from one of the side walls towards her.  
  
Four metal blocks came from the floor in the shape of a square, encasing Evan, Kitty and Rogue inside. Kitty and Rogue passed through one of the walls of the casing, Evan had released a long spike from his left forearm, he pole vaulted from the shell that pretty much had him a prisoner.  
  
Rayne's attention was more so put forth towards the others that she didn't see the three metallic arms with claws comming at her. They each wrapped around her, and lifted her helpless body from the floor. She struggled then teleported from the grip, she reappeared next to Kurt back onto the metal floor. "How is this supposed to help with our powers?"  
  
"It helps with our focus, with our ability to sense things and to not panic in an attack of any kind, also to make us stronger."  
  
She rolled her eyes, not fully wanting to continue with the training, but she had no choice. After about another 35 minutes they were permitted to leave. In the changing area for the girls, Rayne slowly changed from her uniform to her clothes, she asked to not particularly anyone, just basically to them all, "Am I gonna keep this uniform for further pratice?"  
  
"Yeah, but it's not just for practicing, it's also for in case we get into a real battle with someone," Kitty replied to her.  
  
"Oh, I see, thanks," Rayne answered with an irritable tone of voice. She picked up her uniform and left the changing area, going towards her room she thought much about what she was told. About her biological mother, about the woman named Mystique who had birthed her and Kurt, and then allowed something to happen to them. At that moment she knew she couldn't forgive that woman, all she wanted to do was to ask her why she allowed them to be seperated from her, and about why they were in the castle in the beginning.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
The rest of the weekend had passed quickly for Rayne, the training she received with the others was comming in handy for her, she paid much attention, and put forth her best to acheive her greatness.  
  
In the early morning hours of Monday before the sun rose, Rayne lay awake in her bed, looking through the dimming darkness towards her ceiling. For a reason she couldn't explain, she missed Maria. She missed the smiling face of the ten year old girl, who had tried to make Rayne's sorrow and hurt go away so many times, but never truly suceeded because Rayne always escaped the grasped held towards her. She smiled at the girl's efforts and meaningful thoughtfulness.  
  
About a 15 minute time period before the break of dawn, Rayne rose from her bed, and selected the clothes she would be wearing for her first day at the school. She teleported to the hallway outside the bathroom, and opened the door, she stepped inside and prepared herself for the day, before anyone else was to arise.  
  
After 20 minutes she emerged from the bathroom, to meet the others just beginning to stir from their slumber. Rayne made her way to the kitchen, where she poured herself a glass of orange juice. Logan was already in the middle of a cup of coffee and reading the morning paper, a woman she had been introduced to earlier the day before, named Orora, came in the kitchen shortly after her.  
  
Rayne sat to the table and sipped her juice while Orora came and sat across from her, asking if she liked the institute so far, and whether or not she was nervous of the day ahead. Replying, Rayne exclaimed that she did like the institue, and was not at all nervous about the day that she would have to face.  
  
The other students began to come into the kitchen, their chatter filling the morning air as they chose what they wanted to eat for breakfast. Their bookbags were hung onto the back of their chairs as they ate, Kurt handed Rayne one of his older bookbags, which was black with white zippers. Also he gave to her a binder filled with sheets of paper, as well he gave to her a black pen. "You'll need these," he said with a smile.  
  
At about 25 minutes after eight, the students stood to make their way to the school, Scott offering to give anyone a ride if they pleased. Evan politely declined and put on his helmet, knee, and shoulder pads and made his way to the school on his skateboard. Jean, Kitty and Rogue agreed to go with him. Kurt and Rayne decided to teleport, making sure to stay to the dark alleys as they went. After the gang in the car had left, the twins began to walk towards their destination. Rayne couldn't help but feel and notice that she and Kurt were complete different, despite having _almost_ the exact DNA. Where Rayne was wearing an attire made completely out of black clothing, Kurt was wearing lighter colors.  
  
Something that they both knew, was that they each had their different appeals on life, where Kurt had a good life, and Rayne had it difficult. Kurt couldn't help but feel a little sorrowful for her, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings by saying so, and the fear he may have had towards her after her incident had passed him completely, he knew her reason, and he didn't blame her. Rayne no longer blamed Kurt for her misfortunes, when he had the precious life of a loving family, she knew it wasn't his fault, but she did blame their biological mother for not making an enough attempt to find them, and to protect them. She knew that one day she would meet with Mystique, and they would duel.  
  
The twins teleported to an alleyway that was about a block away from the high school. They walked the rest of the way, Rayne clutched the straps of her bookbag that were about each of her shoulders. Walking up the steps they entered the building, Kurt directed Rayne to the office to meet with the principal to get her class schedule. She waited until the secretary signalled for her to enter the principal's office.  
  
She entered and sat down onto the chair in front of his desk. He looked up at her from a file he was reading through, "Rayne Faulken, I was just going through your file, I hope you have a good time here at Bayville High, I'm Principal Kelly, and if you have any questions, or problems, just come to see me," he said to her with a smile.  
  
She nodded as he handed to her a schedule, she stood and left the office. She met with Kurt outside the main office and showed him her schedule. "Oh cool, you have history with me fist class today."  
  
She smiled slightly at him, they made a short stop at his locker then continue on towards the history room. Rayne knew a lot of things about history, but only by when her so called adoptive parents didn't know about her reading different books. Rayne shook her head to clear it of the painful memories, to concentrate fully on the task ahead of her history class.  
  
tbc ... 


	9. Chapter VIII

Author's note: I've been having writer's block lately, it sucks majorly. But I'm sure all accomplished writers go through it some point in their life. ^.^;;  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Chapter VIII ...  
  
The idle chatter of students filled Rayne's ears as she and Kurt entered the classroom. The teacher, whom Kurt told her was Mr. Fearson, wasn't there at the time being.  
  
Kurt went to his seat in the back near the windows, Rayne sat in front of him. She felt the eyes of the other students on her. Her gaze was settled down onto her desk, she nervously scraped her nails against the top of the desk. She raised her eyes when Mr. Fearson entered the room and spoke. "All right class, settle down, I was told we have a new student today, Ra-ay-ne Fa-ul-ken," he struggled with her name, giving cause for a few students to laugh.  
  
She sank down into her seat, so not to be seen, but Mr. Fearson asked her to stand up. She slowly did so, shifting her eyes around the room, she noticed Dominic was in the class, sitting in the back row to the other side of the room, he was looking at her with a slight smile. She looked at him oddly, not sure what was giving him cause to look at her in such a way.  
  
She sat down quickly and looked at the chalk board as Mr. Fearson began speaking about the American Revolution. He asked the class what the reason of the revolution was. No one answered, except Dominic, "We wanted freedom and independence from Britain."  
  
Mr. Fearson smiled and nodded, "Yes Dominic, I'm glad someone was paying attention to my lessons," he spoke with a slight irritated look on his face as he peered about the room. "Now, who won the revolution?"  
  
A girl spoke up, "We did, because we're a free country."  
  
Mr. Fearson looked at her, "Yes, we are a free country, but we didn't win."  
  
"It couldn't have been Britain, we'd still be under them if they won," a boy said.  
  
"Yes, that's true, so who did win?"  
  
Rayne quietly answered, "No one won the revolution, there was a truce, but each side claimed victory."  
  
Mr. Fearson looked at her with a smile, "Correct Rayne, and on your first day in this class. That's very good," He continued to talk about the revolution, and events after it happened.  
  
He began writing notes on the chalkboard, the students in the class began copying them into their notebooks. Kurt gave Rayne a pen and a spare notebook. Her full attention was on copying the notes, and she was oblivious to anything really around her. Her eyes quickly shot to her right when she felt a small poke on her arm. A girl looked at her without a smile on her face, and handed Rayne a note. She took it and unfolded the paper. It was a note from Dominic. Rayne read it, it said about a dance that was comming up in two weeks, and that if she wanted to go, if he could take her. It also said about meeting him at lunch on a bench beneath an oak tree that was in the front of the school.  
  
Rayne looked over at Dominic, he was already looking at her and smiling. She didn't smile back but resumed copying the notes from the chalkboard that Mr. Fearson was writing.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
After about an hour the bell rang for. All the students went to their other classes, each passed quickly until the bell rang for lunch. Rayne stood at Kurt's locker beside him, Scott, Jean, Kitty, Rogue and Evan came up to them. Kitty was chattering about how Lance asked her to the dance, and that she would probably go with him. Rogue seemed uninterested about the dance. Evan spoke about not going, dances weren't his thing.  
  
Kurt spoke up, "Rayne, what was in the note that was passed to you? Who was it from?"  
  
"It was from Dominic, and he wants to meet with me, so I better go," She replied before turning around to leave. She stepped outside of the school and to the oak tree Dominic spoke of, he was sitting on the bench waiting for her. He looked about and smiled when he saw her comming towards him.  
  
Rayne stopped and stood before him, "Why did you want to see me?"  
  
Dominic stood up, "I wanted to ask you about the dance, to see if you were going."  
  
"I hadn't planned on going, I'm not really into dances."  
  
"Well, maybe you'd change your mind if I took you."  
  
Rayne looked at him in silence. She sat down onto the bench, Dominic sat beside her. Rayne leant forward and stared down at her feet. Dominic leant forward and rested his elbows onto his knees, he looked at Rayne, "I guess you need some time to think about it then. But if you don't want to, it's okay."  
  
"It's not that I don't want to Dominic, it's just that I've never been asked to something like this before."  
  
"Oh, well, if you're not sure about it then-"  
  
"Yes, okay," Rayne spoke as she cut him off.  
  
"Rayne, are you sure?"  
  
"Yes Dominic, I'm sure."  
  
He smiled at her, then stood up, "Great, well, should I pick you up, or meet you at the school during the dance?"  
  
"I'll meet you here," she stood as well.  
  
"Alright then, well, I gotta go, I'll see you later," he waved at her then walked away towards three guys who were waiting for him.  
  
Rayne met with Kurt and the others at a table. Jean wasn't there, she was sitting with a guy and a few of his friends at another table. Scott stared at them as he held a bottle of water up to his mouth. Rayne sat beside Kurt, he and Evan were speaking about the dance, Kitty and Rogue were speaking about the dance as well. "Scott, are you okay?" asked Rayne as she sat forward and looked at him.  
  
He lowered the water bottle, "Yeah Rayne, I'm fine."  
  
"Okay then," she replied.  
  
He sighed then stood up and walked away to return into the school. "Aw geez, he's upset about it again," spoke Evan.  
  
"Yeah, I don't know why he doesn't tell Jean how he feels about her," added Kurt.  
  
Lunch hour was soon over and they retreated back to the school for their final class. It passed quickly and the final bell rang signaling dismissal. Rayne stopped by Kurt's locker before leaving, he was there as well as with a girl. Kurt introduced her to Rayne, her name was Amanda, "Kurt told me about you, you two are twins, and you were seperated?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," replied Rayne.  
  
"How did you two meet again?"  
  
"I came to the institute."  
  
"Oh, that's really facinating, how do you know you two are related, well, besides looking alike, did you take a DNA test or something?"  
  
"Yes, and now if you'll excuse me, I must be going now."  
  
"Wait Rayne, and I'll walk you back to the institute," spoke Kurt.  
  
"No Kurt, it's alright, I'm not going back to the institute now anyway. I'll just go for a walk or something," she responded to his offer as she slowly turned and walked away.  
  
She left the school and began walking towards the town. She passed a dark alleyway and stopped, she turned and look back into the darkness. She remembered how she used to have to hide in them. She felt a gust of wind go around her, she teleported away from it. She look and saw that it was Pietro. He leant against the brick wall of one of the buildings. His arms were crossed over his chest, "So, looking to go back?"  
  
"Go back to where?"  
  
"Well you were with the morlocks weren't you? You wanna go back don't you?"  
  
"Not really, I do miss them kind of, but I don't get attatched to anyone too closely. Because in the end, they'll be hurt."  
  
"It's a good way of thinking I suppose," Pietro quickly circled around Rayne, he held onto her upper arms and leant her back, he looked down at her, "Well, if you don't want to see them, then there _is_ someone else you might want to see."  
  
She teleported from his grip to stand behind him, he turned and looked at her, "Who then do you mean?" she asked with a stern look and voice.  
  
"Mystique wants to meet with you. I don't know why, but she said it was urgent, and that it be kept secret, so she asked me," Pietro circled around Rayne again as he continued speaking, "She wants to meet with you at the pier at midnight tonight." He then left.  
  
tbc ... 


	10. Chapter IX

Author's note: Finally I'm over my writer's block.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Chapter IX ...  
  
Rayne stood in complete silence once Pietro left her alone. She didn't know why Mystique would want to see her, the woman who had made a poor effort, if any, on locating her and Kurt when they were infants. Although, Rayne wanted to know why.  
  
She didn't return to the institute, she wished to be alone until the moment she was to meet her birth mother. She continued her thoughts as she travelled about the town, staying generally in the shadows of the alleyways.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Has Rayne returned yet?" Kurt had asked to Scott.  
  
"No Kurt, I didn't see her come in," he replied.  
  
"Oh, well, okay then."  
  
"Why is there something wrong?"  
  
"No, but after school today she said she was going for a walk, and I don't know where she went, or when she would be comming back. I know we weren't together since we were babies, but, I guess my brother instinct is taking over now. I hope she's alright."  
  
"I'm sure she is Kurt, she probably needs a little time to herself, it's probably too much for her right now, with being around so many people at once, since she was alone most of her life. Just give her time and she'll be okay."  
  
"Thanks Scott."  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
It was half past eight when Kurt went to the professor. "Professor, Rayne still hasn't come back to the institute yet, and it's getting late."  
  
"Well Kurt, I'm sure it's nothing serious, she needs time to herself."  
  
"But professor, could you please try and find out where she is?"  
  
"Alright Kurt, if it will make you feel better," the professor closed his eyes and used his mind to try and locate Rayne, he wasn't able to, "I'm sorry Kurt, I couldn't find her."  
  
"Thanks anyway professor, but I'm going to go look for her around the town."  
  
"Very well then, would you like the others to help you?"  
  
"No, but I'll contact you if I need help," he spoke before leaving the room.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Kurt teleported to an alleyway, he emerged onto the sidewalk and began walking. He looked about furiously, every so often he called Rayne's name. People looked at him oddly, he payed them no attention, his mind was set on finding his twin sister. He was unsuccessful in his search.  
  
He sat down onto a bench, leaning forward he rested his elbows onto his knees and put his face into his hands. He remained in that position for what felt like forever to him, until he heard someone talking to him. He looked up to see Lance, Pietro, Fred and Toad standing in front of him. Toad was the one speaking, "Awww, the blue fuzz ball is upset," he laughed.  
  
Kurt quickly stood up, grabbed Toad by the collar of his shirt and teleported him to the top of the light pole. Toad gave a girlish scream before falling, he landed upside down, he groaned, "That's not fair yo."  
  
The others laughed at him, then seriously looked up at Kurt, he was still on top of the light pole, "What's wrong with you?" asked Lance.  
  
Kurt teleported to stand in front of them, "I'm looking for my sister, she didn't return to the institute."  
  
Pietro smiled mischeviously at him, "Yeah well blue boy but I don't think she'll be returning for a while."  
  
Kurt felt his anger grow, "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Nothing really," Pietro circled around Kurt in a quick motion, "Just call it a hunch."  
  
Kurt teleported to stand in front of him, he grabbed Pietro's arm, causing him to stall to a hault, "If you hurt her I swear I'll-"  
  
"I didn't do anything to her. Besides, if you did anything to me without your professor knowing, wouldn't you get kicked out of the institute?" he said with a laugh. The others laughed as well, except for Toad who was still laying on his back on the sidewalk, groaning.  
  
"I don't care, all that matters to me now is Rayne, even though I wasn't with her for the most parts of our lives, she's my twin, and I will never let anything happen to her, now where is she?" Kurt growled his statement directly at Pietro, causing him to lean back, the grip Kurt had on his arm grew tighter.  
  
Lance held his hand out towards them, he closed his eyes and the ground began to shake. Toad squealed like a little girl again as his body bounced on the concrete. Kurt and Pietro broke apart, "I don't know where she is when I told her that-" he cut himself off, then ran quickly back towards Fred and Lance.  
  
Kurt teleported to cut off his path, "What did you say to her?"  
  
"That's not really any of your business, besides, it's not my place to blab something confidential."  
  
"What are you talking about? What did you say Pietro, tell me, or you'll find yourself teleported to the middle of the harbour, and not even your speed will bring you back to shore."  
  
"Oohhh, I'm really scared," he mockingly said.  
  
Kurt could no longer control his anger, he hit Pietro in the face, hard, causing for him to stagger back. "Hey, that wasn't very X-men like of you," spoke Toad as he watched from the bench, he was able to manage himself up to.  
  
"At the moment I'm not a member of the X-men, all I want is the whereabouts of my sister, now where is she?" he demanded as he once again hit Pietro. He staggered back again until he fell onto the bench beside Toad.  
  
Fred lunged forward and put his arms around Kurt, lifting him from the ground. Kurt squirmed for a moment, then teleported to be behind Fred. Kurt kicked him, causing for him to fall forward. Kurt back flipped and landed on his feet, he looked at Lance, who held out his hand and used his power to make the ground shake again.  
  
Kurt once again teleported, he stood behind Lance. He managed to put him down on the ground by putting his arms around Lance's neck and flipping him over and around.  
  
Kurt stood up straight and stepped towards the bench where Toad and Pietro were sitting. Toad squealed again and held his arms up in front of his face, he curled up and pleaded to not be harmed. He calmed down a bit when he saw that Kurt was looking down at Pietro.  
  
Pietro was rubbing his jaw, which had been hit twice. He put two fingers in his mouth and emerged them to see that blood was on them. He looked up at Kurt, "Well, do you want to make my nose bleed to match my mouth?"  
  
"If I have to then yes, I will, tell me what happened between you and Rayne, what did you tell her?"  
  
"I told you, it's not my place to blab anything confidential."  
  
Kurt grabbed Pietro by the collar of his shirt and lifted him to his feet, he shook him, "What did you say to her?"  
  
"Hey, get off me," Pietro pushed Kurt away. They both staggered back.  
  
Kurt made a fist and raised it to hit Pietro again, "Alright alright, fine, I talked to her this afternoon after school."  
  
Kurt lowered his fist, Pietro continued, "I gave her message from Mystique."  
  
Kurt stepped towards him and grabbed his shirt again, "What did she want with Rayne?"  
  
"Hey easy, she only wanted to meet the girl-"  
  
"Where?"  
  
"On the pier, at midnight."  
  
Kurt let go of Pietro's shirt, he teleported away from the spot. Toad stood up, as well as Lance and Fred, "Mystique wants to meet that girl?" asked Lance.  
  
"Yeah, but I don't know why."  
  
"Well, then we'll just have to find out," spoke Lance.  
  
"How we gonna do that?" asked Toad.  
  
"We're going to the pier at midnight," replied Lance as he began to walk away, the others followed him.  
  
tbc ... 


	11. Chapter X

Author's note: Okay, ideas are comming up short, but I have enough to finish the story I suppose. Maybe one or two more after this one, then I'll be done. ^.^;; I hope it was a good read.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Chapter X ...  
  
It was close to midnight and Rayne was waiting. The darkened shadows appearing as eerie figures because of the lamp poles. The cold sea air chilled Rayne's skin. Fog rolled into the mainland as wisps, seeming like a dreaded death comming to kill.  
  
Rayne looked down at the watch on her wrist, 11:57, she had three minutes to think of what she would say. Yet, she couldn't think of anything else to say to Mystique other than why didn't she look for her and Kurt?  
  
Rayne paced back and forth under the light of the pole, she cracked her knuckles slowly one by one in anticipation. She heard approaching footsteps, she looked up to see a cloaked figure comming towards her. The figure stopped in front of her, "It's good to see you Rayne."  
  
"Are you Mystique?" she asked as she folded her arms across her chest.  
  
"Yes," she replied as she lowered the hood of her cloak.  
  
Rayne stepped back, "What do you want with me now? Why didn't you try and find me when I was still a baby? Why didn't you try and find Kurt too?"  
  
"Things were complicated and-" she was cut off by Rayne.  
  
"Don't give me that, to hell with your excuses of things being complicated. You abandonned us, why?" her fury was growing more intense.  
  
"I didn't abandon you Rayne, or Kurt, you both were lost to me, when I ran from the castle you two fell in the river from the bridge."  
  
"What castle?"  
  
Mystique closed her eyes remembering what happened the night her twins were lost, she opened her eyes again and looked at her daughter, "There was a castle, I took you both there, where a man named Eric Lehnsherr, or Magneto as he sometimes goes by, did an experiment on you both. To make you both stronger, but something went wrong, the machines malfunctioned and you two were mutated further than what you had been. Before you both were just like me, you were just blue and could change your shape, but when the machine failed, your hands, your feet and your ability changed."  
  
"What about our tails, did they grow after the machines failed?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You bitch, how could you do something like that to your own children. I hate you, ever since I was old enough to know what was going on around me I knew I'd always hate my mother. And I still do, you have no idea how painful my life has been, having to cry myself to sleep every night because I was hungry and because I had to sleep on the cold hard floor. Every day I was made to feel like a freak, every day I was mocked by the people who were supposed to love me. But they didn't, and it's all your fault," she exclaimed as she lunged at Mystique.  
  
Mystique grasped Rayne's wrists, causing for her watch to turn her back into her true mutant form. Rayne looked up at her birth mother with much hatred. "Rayne stop it."  
  
Rayne didn't say anything, she only attacked Mystique again, causing for them both to fall to the wooden planks of the pier.  
  
In the shadows Kurt appeared, he watched in silence and pain to see his twin and his birth mother fighting.  
  
As well in the far shadows, Lance and the others of the Brotherhood appeared, they watched as the two females fighting. "Whoa, don't get on their bad sides," spoke Toad, he crouched down like a toad would do.  
  
Kurt called to the professor in his mind, /Professor, professor, please, I need your help now, I found Rayne, and she's fighting Mystique./  
  
/Alright Kurt, where are you?/  
  
/At the pier./  
  
/Very well, I'll send the others right away./  
  
Rayne and Mystique rolled around for a moment until Rayne teleported to stand above her mother. She looked down and her mother looked up, their eyes met for a brief moment, and for that brief moment all was silent. Mystique turned her body and kicked Rayne's legs, causing her to fall.  
  
She fell onto her back as Mystique stood up. Rayne turned her body over and used her tail to whip at Mystique's legs, she fell then onto her side then changed her shape to appear as Kurt. Rayne stopped and looked at who she saw was her twin. "Rayne, please stop and help me up."  
  
Rayne stood and looked down, confused. She knew it wasn't Kurt, but it looked and sounded like Kurt. She shook her head and reached down as if to take the outreached hand that was towards her, instead she slapped Mystique across the face. She changed back into her original form.  
  
"You thought you could trick me? Because of my life I've learned to be aware and to not trust anyone, human or mutant alike. How stupid do you think I am?"  
  
Mystique flipped to stand up, "Alright, I came to make ammends with you, but if you're not going to forgive me and hear me out, then I'm not going to try," she hit at Rayne.  
  
The two continued fighting as the others peered from the darkness. "Wow, I never thought I'd be upset by a fight other than losing to one. This one seems pointless," spoke Lance.  
  
"Yeah, seems kinda depressing though," added Pietro.  
  
They as well as Kurt emerged from the darkness, the others that the professor had sent arrived and stood by Kurt, none willing to interfere with the fight. They and the members of the Brotherhood looked at each other, but they didn't fight either. All just watched the battle between mother and daughter.  
  
Rayne put her arms around Mystique's neck from behind and teleported them both to the top of the light pole, she stayed as she dropped her mother. Mystique fell onto her back and moaned in pain. Rayne jumped down and crouched beside Mystique's body, she wrapped her tail around her mother's neck. She felt nothing but hatred in that moment.  
  
Kurt stepped forward and called to Rayne, telling her to stop.  
  
"Stop? Stop? What are you talking about Kurt? You of all people should be telling me to go ahead and finish her, she left us Kurt, she didn't even try and look for us. Why do you want to protect her?"  
  
"I'm not trying to protect her Rayne, I'm trying to protect you. I hate her too but we can't kill, it's not the right thing to do. Just let her go, and she'll never have to bother us again. Please Rayne, don't do it."  
  
Rayne looked at Kurt, then back to her mother, tears formed in her eyes then streaked her face. She unwrapped her tail from Mystique's neck and stood up, she put her hands up to her face. Kurt quickly came forward and put his arms around his twin, pulling her close into a loving brotherly embrace. Rayne cried as Mystique changed her form into a bird and flew away. The members of the Brotherhood left without saying anything.  
  
The others from the institute left as well to give Kurt and Rayne time together. The twins held onto each other for what seemed like eternity to them before they stepped back. They looked out over the water, the light from the pole shining down onto the small waves.  
  
"Thank you Kurt, I probably would have killed her if you hadn't stopped me, but I know now that it's not the right way to be."  
  
"It's okay Rayne, I understand you were upset, at least now you can live your life in peace."  
  
"Yeah, but before we go back to the institute, I need to keep my promise to someone."  
  
They both left the pier and went to a manhole. They dropped down and began to walk. Rayne knew exactly where to go. Then entered the main layer of where the morlocks were located. Rayne looked about and saw Maria, she called out to the little girl, who in return ran with full force with her arms outstretched.  
  
After about a half hour the twins left the morlocks, they were both smiling. "Thank you Kurt for comming with me."  
  
"Don't mention it, what are brother's for?"  
  
They laughed as they returned to the institute.  
  
tbc ... 


	12. Epilogue

Author's note: Finally finished, last part. ^.^;;  
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
  
Epilogue ...  
  
From the moment Rayne had met with her mother, she felt better, more wholesome. Never again   
  
did she see Mystique, only on occasion she heard the name when there was trouble.  
  
Rayne stayed at the institute, she continued her studies at the Bayville high school, she   
  
told Dominic the fact that she was a mutant, she was afraid to do so, but he accepted it.   
  
For the first time in her life Rayne felt truly happy. Like she had a new life, a new   
  
beginning, a family.  
  
She and Kurt grew stronger and closer together, the way most twins do in their lives. Rayne   
  
knew that everything would now be okay in her life. She attended the dance with the Dominic,   
  
and that was when she told him, he looked at her with surprise, she showed him, and he just   
  
smiled. "Rayne, that doesn't matter, I knew there was something different about you, I just   
  
didn't know what. Now that I know I like you more," he kissed her hand. Their friendship   
  
grew and blossomed into romance.   
  
For Rayne, everything turned out better than she could have ever asked for. For the little   
  
girl who was considered an outcast all her life, everything was right and happy.   
  
~Fin~ 


End file.
